March 21, 2009

Greetings My Friend,

When my son Mike was little, he had a lot of challenges. The first one was that he cried for hours on end, days on end. Finding the source of his discomfort was a challenge. When we visited friends and family, I often heard, “Oh no here they come”, because Mike would cry so much. I consistently reported Mike’s problems to the doctor. Mostly the doctor thought that I was babying Mike too much. One time though, the doctor looked inside Mike’s ears. His ear drum was inverted, he could not hear and he was having nasty ear aches, the kind that hurt a lot! Because of that situation, I found a need to tell people what I learned with Mike, in life in general.

I was at the gym working out in the pool a while back. I had a conversation that I reflect back on quite a bit. Actually at one point in my life, I remember buying into this lady’s thoughts. Anyway, the conversation turned toward life in general. I often tell people that I am in my second marriage. I did it wrong the first time, this time I asked God and He has placed me with a man I feel safe with.

I mentioned that my first marriage was for 24 years and it was abusive. There was lots of anger etc. I also mentioned that I had a rough childhood as well. I don’t tell these things to get pity. I truly want to help people. I want to offer hope. I have found the hope I have is not in the psychology classes, counseling sessions I went through. The hope I have is in Jesus Christ. When I divorced, I prayed a whole lot, more than I had ever done before in my life. I did not want to repeat the mistakes I had made the first time. As I prayed I started to find hope and healing.

This lady at the gym suggested that I would have been better off aborted, never being born because of all the pain of life. Instantly, I felt angry. I am glad I was born. I am glad I have seen the other side of abuse. I am glad that God loves me enough to make me whole and new. I see that my life has value. That in itself is a huge blessing. Now I try to reach out to the lost, lonely and hurting people. I was once lost, but now am found – found by Jesus.
I love bringing hope to people. I love bringing Jesus’ redeeming love to people. I count it pure joy. My daughter hasn’t really talked to me in 9-10 years. It hurts, a lot at times. I am sad for the hurt she feels whether it was caused by me or her Dad. God has helped me move from constant pain and despair. At work there was a young lady who allowed me to love her. I have a niece who allows me to love her. God brings me young women and I still get to be “mom.” So, I am grateful that I was never aborted. I am grateful to have found Jesus.

As I write this, I know some of you have had an abortion. Give it to God. He is the great healer and He can use you to help another person in pain – often what you have felt can now be used to help another.

May God bless you and keep you, make His face to shine upon you.

Love
Janet

Jeremiah 29:6
Marry and have children. Then let your children get married, so that they also may have children. You must increase in numbers and not decrease.

Jeremiah 29: 11-12
I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for. Then you will call to me, and I will answer you.

Psalm 139:13
You created every part of me; you put me together in my mother’s womb.